Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GreenS (GreenS – Green public procurement supporters for innovative and sustainable institutional change) Reporting period: 2016-12-01 to 2018-05-31 Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project The project supports public authorities to successfully apply GPP with priority. G.PP. S (Supporting Units) provide long-term support and technical assistance on GPP to public authorities. Starting from gained experiences of the CoM initiative and related projects on SEAPs, Energy Agencies and Public Bodies are upgrading their competences to provide full set of services to local authorities on GPP. Pilot projects, the experimentation of green procurement process and tenders, are challenging on the filed the most efficient and effective actions for GPP implementation. GreenS is testing a series of innovative tools (GPP database with templates of technical terms to purchase green energy related products and services). 21 public administrations (3 per country) are experimenting technical support by using templates database aiming a successful pilot implementation of GPP purchases. The model aims at overcoming barriers on GPP up-take to favour the replicability in other EU countries. Several key challenges and barriers have been identified addressing some solutions. These barriers include awareness that GPP practices, tools and regulations are not supported by public authorities to develop GPP strategies & policies. Dialogue & actions to boost multi-level cooperation among different actors at national, regional and local level on GPP will be supported by Steering Committees to encourage cooperation on GPP, to overcome legal uncertainties (procedures, categories of products & services, quality criteria). The GPP database, an on-line catalogue (green suppliers), position papers (policy recommendations) aim at filling lack of innovative tools on GPP. Lack of training in public bodies will be overcome by innovative training sessions for Energy agencies staff members & procures. The project objectives are to address obstacles to the uptake of GPP that have been identified by partners in their own country (good and bad practices analysis in 7 countries). The implementation of pilot projects, by aiming to intensively consult public administrations in the implementation of pilot green procurement process, have the scope to test on the field that are the most efficient and effective actions to provide GPP implementation and up-take. Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far GreeS promoted green procurement and improved energy efficiency in public procurement policies achieving planned results and target indicators. GreenS confirmed that Public institutions play a key role in purchasing more sustainable goods and services contributing to sustainable consumption and production; the project developed innovative practices with higher cost-effective and technical energy saving potential thanks to the implementation of pilot project/procedures and multi-level governance approaches reproducible by any public authority in EU. GreenS experimented public tender processes among Public Administrations producing good examples of realized GPP cases in P.A.The project started with the analysis in each participating country of existing bad and good practices on GPP; 114 case studies analysed . GPP practices were identified with a focus on the process and methodology implemented in each country to purchase “green” goods and services. 108 were analysed SEAPs. 10 products and/or services, 7 main categories of products and services useful and preparatory for the pilot projects testing/experimentation, were identified. The results from this WP are also suitable inputs for upcoming policy recommendations at local, national & EU level and for GPP training contents and activities.GPP experts were established inside Energy Agencies. ICLEI trained 14 experts GPP and 35 new Energy Agencies were involved to share training programmes. 7 GPP Strategy Plans were developed. 22 pilot projects were implemented, monitored and assessed for a total: 6.481 toe/year, with more than of € 3.150.000 € investments. Steering Committees identified active administrations in the region, networking major energy stakeholders in each partner countries to support the partners in development of strategies, identification of obstacles to GPP process and to tailor the policy recommendations. More than 7 Steering Committees per country were organized with more than 65 SC members. 64 green suppliers registered in the con-line catalogue http://greensproject.eu/en/greens-catalogue/. Innovative training activities were implemented by ICLEI and 1521 procurers were trained. Standard documents templates were created for 3 product categories, they contain evaluation criteria and technical terms. All partners identified and presented pilot projects and GPP technical terms templates. Templates are uploaded on the website, on-line “database” at the following link: http://greensproject.eu/en/pilot-gpps/. All the consortium involved in the pilot experimentations signed letters with Public/local authorities, demonstrating G.PP. S support to public procurers and the successful GPP implementation. Guidelines and templates to evaluate results of implemented activities, assessing impacts to elaborate policy recommendations were created. Policy recommendations were based on the results from the national green procurement strategies and measures on local, regional, national and international level. Communication & Dissemination activities achieve high visibility and broad dissemination of the project information and outcomes at European, national and local level. Greens website (http://greensproject.eu) was constantly updated with the project’s progress by all partners in all 8 partner languages plus English. The website counts 6299 unique visitors, 464 publications and 240 pages, total sessions count: 10853. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greensproject/ collected 500 likes, 106 posts are published by partners and 8456 users are reached. Project brochures are available electronically. Electronic newsletters translated in all project languages and disseminated to the identified target groups and stakeholders of partner countries.The consortium issued more than 100 press releases in national language and in English, disseminated to general and specialized audience (printed or published) via more than 66 media. Articles in specialized media were also published. The consortium issued 232 press releases in national language and 21 in English, disseminated to general and specialized audience (printed or published) via more than 66 media. Partners presented GreenS project at international, national and local level by participating in events, where the project idea, achievements and goals became familiar to more than 75000 visitors and attendees (total number for the consortium). Final events and 1 day events were provided in all countries where green public procurement experts and stakeholders met in project GreenS final conference. A Guidebook it’s created for the replication of the whole process by other energy agencies and supporting structures across Europe. One short animated video was created in English, with subtitles in each partner language. The Final GreenS Conference was held in April in Varna, Bulgaria. Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far) GreenS project achieved measurable results and impacts. The project implemented a series of actions and produced all foreseen results. 22-pilot projects were experimented, processed and monitored with energy saving for a total: 6.481 toe/year from the pilot experimentations, reaching more than of € 3.150.000 € of cumulative investments.
